Presiding Bishop Curry calls for ‘remembering our sister and brother Christians in the Holy Land who maintain the faith which we hold so dear’

[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] “Our journey as Episcopalians also includes remembering our sister and brother Christians in the Holy Land who maintain the faith which we hold so dear,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote to the clergy of The Episcopal Church. “Their witness is an inspiration.”

Presiding Bishop Curry wrote in the annual Good Friday letter to all congregations asking them to consider assistance for Jerusalem and the Middle East.

“As you know, each year, every bishop and congregation is encouraged by the Presiding Bishop to participate in the Good Friday Offering,” he wrote. “This tradition is decades old and is an important statement of our solidarity with the members of the four dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. We have a Gospel imperative to be sure they know they are not forgotten behind the headlines or because of the distractions in our own lives.”

Funds collected from the Good Friday Offering are gathered and distributed to the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East which includes the Dioceses of Jerusalem and Cyprus and the Gulf, all members of the Anglican Communion.

Information and resources for the Good Friday Offering are available here.

The following is the Presiding Bishop’s letter:
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Lent 2016

Dear Clergy of the Episcopal Church,

My hope and prayer for you is that you will find time during this Lent for prayer, for study and for renewal of your spirit as you share with me in the joys and challenges of leading the people of God of our beloved Church. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fill each of us with the desire and the will to follow him ever so more closely in the weeks to come.

Our journey during Lent always leads us to Jerusalem. We walk with Jesus over the Mount of Olives and behold the Holy City. We join in laying out our palm branches and shouting Hosanna. We will be there at the garden but most of us will not be able to stay awake for even one hour. We will walk the Way of Sorrows.

How close will we come to the cross on that Friday? Will our journey include skepticism or amazement when the women bring us the news from the tomb?

Our journey as Episcopalians also includes remembering our sister and brother Christians in the Holy Land who maintain the faith which we hold so dear. The political, social and spiritual challenges are well known. Their witness is an inspiration.

As you know, each year, every bishop and congregation is encouraged by the Presiding Bishop to participate in the Good Friday Offering. This tradition is decades old and is an important statement of our solidarity with the members of the four dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. We have a Gospel imperative to be sure they know they are not forgotten behind the headlines or because of the distractions in our own lives.

This year, on this Good Friday, it is my hope and prayer that you will stand with me in prayer and action by promoting the Good Friday Offering among your people. Your leadership in encouraging generosity is important. Your willingness to speak out in support of the ministry of the Anglicans who keep the faith on our behalf in the land our Lord Jesus Christ once walked is needed and appreciated.

For your reference and use, please know that updated Good Friday Offering materials are available at here.

With thanks to God for your support and leadership, I remain,

Faithfully

The Most Rev. Michael CurryPresiding Bishop and PrimateThe Episcopal Church